Imagining The America

By Author: Roberto Raffa
Total Articles: 10
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America represents such an overwhelmingly vast patchwork of often wildly disparate possibilities for the prospective visitor that deciding where to start really can be an intimidating prospect. In the end it probably comes down to what you want from your visit because this epic nation really does have it all.

The multiplicity of subcultures crammed into this vast land means that even a single state can offer as much variety as some countries can muster in their entirety. Take California, a state which contains within its boundaries such remarkable diversity, both cultural and physical, that a thorough tour taking in everything from the arid deserts of the south to the brisk, verdant terrain bordering Washington State might not feel too dissimilar to a round the world trip.

We have compiled a summary of three of our favourite cities in the hope of providing some sort of entree into this mind bogglingly varied nation:

Las Vegas
On visiting Vegas for the first time it quickly dawns on you that it really is exactly how you imagined it would be - a huge plastic tribute to American consumerism and ...
... shallow cultural simulation. Money is in gaudy evidence everywhere, from the quarters silver haired gambling addicts pump blankly into the millions of slot machines to the brazenly unsubtle displays of wealth favoured by the hordes of Prada clad nouveau rich to the stupefying excess of the casinos themselves.

Take The Venetian, a $1.5 billion casino/resort that attempts to recreate the streets of Venice, complete with a canal that winds through the casino and shopping mall and is (inevitably) traversed by singing gondoliers. There is surprisingly convincing mock Venetian architecture, a Titian-esque sky painted on the vast ceiling for that Truman Show fake environment vibe and a liberal sprinkling of Renaissance style frescos.

Whatever your take on the Vegas experience it's hard not to be awed by the overwhelming spectacle of it all and, for a few days at least (anymore and you may find your grasp on reality is beginning to slip), there really are few more fun and exciting cities to visit.

Miami
Think of Miami and one thing inevitably springs to mind - partying. And yes, however reductive a summary of this city's many redeeming qualities it may be, there can be no denying that Miami has long been, and continues to be, party central.

Nestled at the south east tip of Florida, Miami is the sun dazed repository for all of America's most gaudily decadent and downright hedonistic inclinations. There really is nowhere better suited to letting your hair down and revelling amidst a hazily glamorous mirage of cool Art Deco architecture, unabashedly brazen displays of wealth and the feisty rhythms of Latino culture.

Miami is, unapologetically, a good time city and whilst at times the stark juxtaposition of beautiful people spending a lot of money with the genuine poverty that often accompanies recent immigration might be hard to take, that's Miami for you - a sultry, vibrant melting pot surrounded by swampland and ocean that might be a bit, well, crazy but remains a vital and utterly unique expression of the American dream.

Boston
It would be easy to characterise Boston as a city defined by its history and, hell, it does have an awful lot to offer on that front. From its origins as the puritans ‘shining city on a hill' Boston (dubbed rather imposingly ‘The Cradle of Liberty') has consistently commanded a position at the forefront of America's cultural and political landscape and still exudes an undeniable gravitas.

Given this steadily acquired image one could be forgiven for imagining a city weighed down by a sense of staid historical self importance. Such off-putting preconceptions do Boston a great disservice however; visitors will find a city that is indeed rich in history, pretty green expanses and period architecture but equally overflowing with a more contemporary energy.

In fact Boston is experiencing something of a cultural renaissance right now, with a thriving visual arts scene, forward thinking architectural developments and impressive new landmarks like the Institute for Contemporary Arts.

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